Calling knitters to help with dementia project

A new scheme to help patients with dementia has put out an urgent call for knitters!

The project, which was launched at Bradford Teaching Hospitals this month, aims to supply creations called twiddle muffs which are knitted bands with trimmings on both the outside and inside of ribbons, beads, buttons and zips.

Twiddle Muffs are used to provide simple stimulation for hands and have proven useful for patients living with dementia, who are often restless and need reassurance.

Lead dementia nurse, Danielle Woods, explained: “The twiddle muff or cuff was designed to help combat restlessness and agitation in dementia patients by keeping their hands busy as well as stimulating the mind.

“The soft material muffs contain strands of textured ribbons, beads and various fabrics attached both inside and outside, and can be costly if ordered from the internet so we are hoping that volunteers will come forward to put their knitting skills to good use.”

The scheme has been so successful in the past few weeks that already nurses are down to their last supplies - so they are urging the Bradford public to grab their knitting needles to make more twiddle muffs so they can keep up with demand.

Mrs Woods continued: “Up to a quarter of our patients at any one time will have a form of dementia and the number is growing.

“With an aging population here in Bradford, we are seeing more and more people with dementia as more people are living for longer, so we want to make our hospitals, services and environments as dementia-friendly as possible.”